Link conveyer belt



Dec, 15, 1931.- F. N. WOODMAN f 1,836,422

LINK CONVEYER BELT Filed Dec. 15, 1930 Patented Dec. 15,1 1931 LINK ooNvEYER .BELT

Application med December 13,1930. seiarno. 502,166.

This invention relates to conveyer belts used for transporting machine parts or other materials from point to pointfor for conveying articles or materials through drying aps paratus or through heat-treatment furnaces. It is the object of my invention to provide an improvedconstruction of conveyer belt for `snch. purposes, in which flat links are pivotally connected in suchmanner that their freedom of relative movement will be effectively maintained under long vcontinued and adverse operating conditions. (A. further object is to provide a conveyer belt having fiat links kso interlaced at their 'i5 end portions that perfect fleXingof the conveyer is afforded and that all possibility of freezing7 the joints is avoided.

With this and other objects 1n view, my 1nvention relates to arrangements and combl- K `g-nations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

\ A preferred form Vof .the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of portions 'of my improved conveyer belt;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation,

x taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

'135 gether by pivot pins 11 and 12. Each link 10 comprises a body portion having alternately arranged projecting portions 14 and Y recesses 15.

The projecting portions 14 are bent upwardly and then reversely, as indicated in Fig. 2, to form raised bearing loops 16 at one end of each link and raised bearing loops 17 at the opposite end Vof each link.v The loops 17 are arranged in alignment with the Y recesses 15 at the opposite end of the link,

and the loops 16 are similarly Valigned with recesses between the loops 17. v

The ends of the projections 14 may be secured in position by welding or riveting or in @150. any other convenient manner. The loops out of alignment {Witheach other.vg j` 16 and 17'ares`ubstantially spacedlongitudii nally4 from the body'portions of 'theflinks y 10, so that when assembled they c @overlap 'gas shown in Fig. v1, with the ytwo seriesof loops j hinge-pin 11' is" t fen' inserted rthrougl'i theloops 17 atfoneend' of a link 10j1a'n`d a hinge-pin 12 fis- `-inserted through rtheli'nks 16 adjacent thereto.` Whenfthe belt is thereafter put under tension, 'itfwillfbeseen that the hinge-pin 11 engages the peripheral outer surfaces ofthe adjacent loops 16, andthe hinge-pin 12 similarly engages the outer surfaces of the adjacent loops 17 Thehingepins are thusfirmly supported'at all points and there yis no tendency topull'the Iloops 16 or 17, out* of alignment. The links-1Q may befprovided with side flanges 2,0A to" prevent lateral .displacementlof thefmaterial being conveyed.y Vhen used athigh temperature, the links 10 are preferably made of a special alloy der such conditions.--`

steel adapted to retain its vstrength unf Whenthe; belt is flared, as in i 2 ,the links Ldo notturnupon the hingepins extending through the 'loops thereof l but the links have a relative rockingmovement, with .each Vhinge-pin sliding, along `a Contact .surface'of the adjacent link. Con- Y Isequently there is nopossibility of thel pivot.,-

Aed links becoming `so tightly engaged. that Vth'eyrefuse to turn or are inthe state commonly described as frozen.

, .The hinge-pin llmay bea straight I drical'rod of such length as; to .fit between ,theside flanges 20'and'to b e held from displacement thereby. The ,hinge-pin 12, however,V is preferably formed in U-shape, asindicated inQFigs. 2-jand "3,withthe return' portionof the pin lying below the associated. link..v A double 'washer 22 maybe forcedfon ftothe ends ofgthelhinge-pin 12. after assemj- ,l Y f :toprevent displacementthereof.j u The lower or return portions 12a-yof1the hinge-pins 12vact as supports .forgthe ends of the links as the beltlis flexed over a driving or` guiding pulley. Otherwise the link Y 1Wouldbe engagedat its center only andthe tension onthe conveyer `would `tend todistort ftheflinks. ,jWhen the `Ushaped hinge-.pins

, a oonveyer belt of very simple construction Which'is Well :adapted furthe purpose intended and which will retain its free 'iieXi and positioning the bearing loops out of bility during long periods of service and' even under adverse-'conditions suchast-seon-Y tinued exposure to hi gh temperatures.

Having thus described my inventionaam'd.'

the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, o'the'r-V i Wisertlianfasset forth inthe claims, but What I claim .-1s:-

A1L'v A linklconveyer belteOmprising?A a plu-V rality-of latlinks having spacedloo s at each endthe loops of-;su`c`cessive"linksl eing alternately 'disposed at vea'ch'joirlit,and a pair of hinge-pinsat each ioint, yone hinge-pin extending 'through the" loops of .one link and the 'second hin ge-pinextending 'through vthe associated loops of the associated link. Y

2. The combination in a conveyer belt as set'forthin claim 1,'in which one of said hingefpins :is substantially U-shaped, with one portion of said ninunderlying the 'bejlt when assembled ancbbeing eective'to support the j ointfwhen" the belt isflexed abolita supportingv pulley.. n K Y "3.' Alinkeonveyer beltA comprisingr a plurality ofiiiat links having spa-ced :loops 4at each'V end, theloops of. successive links being alternately disposed at each joint, and a'pair ofhinge-'pins .at each joint, Yeach -hinge-pin extending'throughthe loops ofone link only and engaging theperipheralsufaces oit-he' adjacent loops of-the" associated. link.y

:4. A Alink conveyer belt ycomprising 'a plurality off flatY links formed from :sheet metal and havin-g extensions atboth ends bent lto form loops,` sai'dloopsbeing"spaced by `recesses ofisubstantia'lly eqi ialvvidth; Vwith leach loop at each end longitudinally aligned'witha `i'ecessfattlie otherend, and a separate hinge-pin for thev set oLtl loops at each-endet eachlink. -A

5. A 'li-nk conveyer belt comprising aj-plurality of'flat links formed from'sheet-metal fue aid:havingextensionsa-tbothendsfbentftoY 'l 'form loops, Vsaid loops being spaced'by "re- Acesses oirsubstantiall'y equal Width', `Witheach loopsat Veachend longitudinally aligned-with arecess yat the other lend, Lsaidloop's overlapping and ,beingpositioned outofalignment ltensionssupporting bearingilo'ops-at each `'enfd of sai'djbo'dy portion, zsaid* extensions 'overlapping-When assembled-:to form aijoi-nt 

